As well as wishing to see an updated security policy, both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties wanted the £38 billion overspend in the Ministry of Defence's (MOD) procurement budget addressed.[2] Given that this coincided with the new government being committed to deficit reduction, the Treasury asked the MOD to prepare options for a 10–20% real terms reduction in its budget.[3] However, the final figure was an 7.7% reduction over four years.[4]

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All three services would take cuts in manpower (see below). Overall, the largest overseas deployment was expected to number no more than 30,000 personnel, including maritime and air force units. This compares to the 45,000 involved in the invasion of Iraq.[5]

One of the Albion class landing platform dock ships will be in extended readiness at any given time. Later confirmed that HMS Albion would be put in to extended readiness till 2016, HMS Bulwark will enter extended readiness after.[3]

One of the Bay class landing ship dock vessels would be decommissioned.[1] The Bay-class landing dock RFA Largs Bay was subsequently sold to the Royal Australian Navy in January 2011 for £65 million as an interim replacement until two proposed RAN Canberra Class Helicopter Landing Decks are commissioned.[7]

The number of warheads carried on each Vanguard class submarine to be reduced from 48 to 40, and the number of operationally available nuclear warheads is to be reduced 'from fewer than 160 to no more than 120'.[1]

Replacement of the UK's nuclear deterrent, based on the Vanguard class ballistic missile submarines, to be delayed by four years, deferring £500 million in spending. Changes to the size of the missile tubes to save £250 million.[citation needed]

The Harrier GR9 was retired in order to maintain the Tornado as the RAF's main strike aircraft until the Typhoon matured. The latter and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II would constitute the RAF's fast jet fleet in the future.

The SDSR called for the almost immediate decommissioning of the Royal Navy flagship aircraft carrier, HMS Ark Royal rather than in 2016 as previously planned. This occurred on Friday 11 March 2011.[10]

The Report also announced the early retirement of the Joint Force Harrier aircraft, the Harrier GR7/GR9. Both of these measures were to save money for the purchase of the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers.[3] The Harrier fleet made its last operational flights in December 2010.[11] 72 British Harriers were sold to the United States in 2011 as a source of spares for their fleet.[12]

The SDSR had proposed that one of the two Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers currently under construction would be certain to be commissioned, with the fate of the other left undecided. It had been suggested that only one carrier, routinely equipped with 12 fast jets, was to be in service at any one time, with the other carrier held in extended readiness. These plans were to be reviewed in 2015.[1] However, contrary to previous proposals, in May 2014 it was announced by British Prime MinisterDavid Cameron that the second carrier, the R09 Prince of Wales would in fact be brought into service alongside the Queen Elizabeth (R08), moving on, Cameron confirmed that the second vessel was in fact already 40% built. [13]

The SDSR announced the Government's intention to switch its purchase of F-35Bs to the carrier-variant F-35C to allow a larger range and weapons load as well as interoperability with the United States and French navies.[1] However in May 2012 this decision was reversed and the F-35B was chosen instead, as the previous government had intended. This was because the cost of converting the Queen Elizabeth class aircraft carriers to accommodate the carrier-variant F-35C had risen to twice the original estimate.[14][15]

After long delays, technical problems, and a total cost of £3.2 billion, the Nimrod MRA4 maritime patrol aircraft project was scrapped.[19]RAF Kinloss where the aircraft were to be based, ended its 73-year association with the RAF on 26 July 2012 when it was transferred to the British Army.[20]

The C-130J fleet to be retired by 2022, 10 years earlier than planned.[1]

The proposed purchase of 12 additional Boeing Chinooks a cut to the original order for 22.[9][22] However in 2011 the Ministry of Defence signed a contract for 14 Chinooks.[23]

The RAF's future fast jet fleet to be based on the Typhoon and the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II, with the latter also to be flown by the Royal Navy.[1]

The Sentinel R1 would be retired once it is no longer required to support forces in Afghanistan.[1] The utility of the aircraft in deployments over Libya and Mali has led to some calls for the retention of the aircraft.[24][25]